


September

by AgeOfAlejandro



Series: Avengers in History [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Iron Man - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Gen, September 11 Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-08
Updated: 2013-02-08
Packaged: 2017-11-28 15:11:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/675813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgeOfAlejandro/pseuds/AgeOfAlejandro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Sir," JARVIS said, sounding worried. "You may wish to turn on the television."</p><p>Tony blinked and frowned as he himself out of the zone and lifted up his welding mask. "Why?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	September

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that I don't really pull punches. It's not in my nature as a person or a writer. I don't get graphic, but I do mention, well, the jumpers. And I don't know about you, but I still tear up at the thought of them.

"Sir," JARVIS said, sounding worried. "You may wish to turn on the television."

Tony blinked and frowned as he himself out of the zone and lifted up his welding mask. "Why?"

JARVIS elected to turn on the TV instead of answering, tuning into CNN just as a plane - a large one, probably a passenger jet, Tony noted - hit a World Trade Center tower. He stopped, the cold sensation of horror flooding him. "What--?"

"That is the second plane to hit a tower," JARVIS said carefully.

 

 

 

And so, Tony, like the rest of the country, was glued to his television. Twenty minutes after the second tower was struck, Pepper appeared at his elbow, wide-eyed and pale. "I've double security on the mansion," she said quietly, her hand over the receiver on her cell. "Obi's double security on all facilities and offices."

"Thanks," Tony said, eyes still on the screen. They fell quiet for a little while, each wondering what the fuck was going on as they watched scared newscasters make conflicting reports.

_Reports are coming in that the Pentagon has been attacked---_

"Fuck! Fuck, call Rhodey  _now!"_  Tony yelped, jumping up and pacing. JARVIS complied and he and Pepper listened to the rings, each one winding Tony's shoulders an iota tighter than the last, each silence between them a tiny eternity.

"Hello?" Rhodey said, picking up at last, sounding harassed and shaken.

"Are you okay?"  Tony asked, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

"Yes, Tony, I'm fine," he said, and Tony could practically see him tugging on his left ear like he did when he was nervous. "I left the Pentagon twenty minutes ago."

"Thank god," Pepper said, sounding a little watery.

"Yeah, thank god." Tony didn't want to think about what it would be like without Rhodey.

"Listen," Rhodey's voice grew a little distant before coming back again, "I gotta take my mom's call. I'll call you as soon as I have time."

"Okay," Tony said. "But not for work!"

"Not for work," Rhodey agreed. "Bye."

"See ya," Tony replied before the phone clicked. He rolled his shoulders to loosen them a little and dropped back down next to Pepper on the bench. " _Christ,_ " he muttered, rubbing his face with his hands and wondering what the final death toll was going to be as a reporter informed viewers that all commercial planes were being ordered to land. "Pepper," he said, peeking through his hands to watch footage of people leaping off the tower above the impact point and people leaning out through windows billowing smoke, "any landing fields we have are to be opened to commercial planes."

"Are you sur--"

Tony closed his eyes before sitting up. "Yes."

"Obi's not going to like this," Pepper said, fishing through her contacts as she spoke.

Tony grunted as they watched the South Tower collapse.

* * *

 Rhodey called late that evening, sounding grey and exhausted. "Hi," he said.

"Hi," Tony replied, soft and somber. "How are you doing?"

"Tired. Angry. Sad."

Tony's lips twisted, a little wry. "Yeah, I bet."

"I know you said no work, but they're going to be calling in all major contractors for a meeting Friday."

"And SI will be there."

"Obi or you?"

"Both, if air traffic has resumed."

"It might," Rhodey said. "I don't know. But I am definitely taking some leave after things have calmed down."

"Mi casa es su casa," Tony said. "Any place I have, you can have the key to. Monte Carlo?"

Rhodey hummed. "Hawaii."

"You got it," Tony confirmed. "Pretty girls, fantastic climate, and kona."

Rhodey laughed weakly. "Of course coffee is on the list of attractions."

"Well," Tony replied, "what else could a guy ask for?"

"Not much," Rhodey ceded. "I'm bushed."

"You sound it," Tony said. "Want me to let you go?"

"Yeah. If you manage to get out here on Friday, we need to go for drinks."

"Have I ever turned down a drink?"

"Never," Rhodey said pointedly and Tony rolled his eyes, even though Rhodey couldn't see him. "But yeah, call me when you know if you can make it out here."

"I will. Good night, Rhodey. Sleep well."

"I'll try. And you," Rhodey added, "sound like you've been up for at least two days. Go to bed, too."

"Okay, Mom," Tony said sarcastically.

Rhodey chuckled before he hung up.

**Author's Note:**

> I contemplated including Steve asking Tony about what happened but, well, that would involve a lot of rehashing what happened and do we really need that? You and I, that is. Steve does. It's not like the event is seared into his memory like it is for anyone who remembers that day. And there's other fics out there handling Steve discovering 9/11, anyway.


End file.
